Vicky Pryce, the former wife of Chris Huhne, "inflicted a criminal on the voters of Eastleigh" by taking the politician's speeding points to save his career, a jury was told on Wednesday.

Andrew Edis QC, the prosecutor, described as "poppycock" Pryce's claim that she had given the points swap story to the press because she had had voters' interests at heart.

"The idea that you were working to get this story out there because it was in the interests of democracy, that's just poppycock, isn't it? By doing what you did in 2003 you inflicted a criminal on the voters of Eastleigh," said Edis.

Pryce replied: "On reflection, yes."

She added: "I didn't think it was the right thing for a politician to be doing. But given the circumstances in which it happened, I wasn't going to divorce him or tell the world about it at that stage."

Pryce, 60, an economist, has pleaded not guilty to perverting the course of justice by taking Huhne's speeding points so he could avoid a driving ban as he was seeking the nomination, in 2003, for the seat of Eastleigh, in Hampshire. She is claiming a defence of marital coercion.

The swap concerning the driving licence points came to light in May 2011 after Pryce told the Sunday Times she had taken Huhne's points.

In cross examination at Southwark crown court Pryce said that she had been "particularly vulnerable" and "practically suicidal" at the time she contacted the press to try to get the speeding points story published. She said it was "not a fantastic plan".

Edis said it was "a calculated course of conduct" that had been "disastrous" for her family.

Pryce replied: "No, what was disastrous was the break-up. The children have remained very close to me."

Mr Justice Sweeney, the judge, asked her: "If it was that you felt bad about it and wanted a good reason to get it out, why spend six months in dealings with the papers? Why not just go to the police and tell them what happened?"

Pryce replied: "On reflection I may well have been better off doing precisely that. But at the time I didn't really want either of us to be prosecuted."